Ice-creeper.



Patented May 8, I900.

R. C. SNOWDEN.

" ICE CREEPER.

(Application filed July 14, 1899.)

(No Model.)

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WITNESSES A TTOHNEYS.

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UNTTED STATES PATENT QEETQE.

ROBERT C. SNOVDEN, OF DUQUESNE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIG'NOR OF ONE-- HALF TOJOHN S. YOUNGBLOOD, OF SAME PLACE.

lCE-CREEPE R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 649,370, dated May 8,1900.

Application filed July 14,1899.

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ROBERT C. SNOWDEN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Duquesne, in the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement inIce-Oreepers,of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improvement in icecreepers seeking to provide asimple construction which can be cheaply made, will be light andself-retaining in use, and will efficiently serve its purpose; and theinvention consists in certain novel constructions and combinations ofparts, as will be hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of my invention as in use. Fig.2 is a detail perpective view of the ice-creeper detached, and Fig. 3 isa bottom plan view of the creeper as in use.

The ice-creeper is composed of a length of suitable wire, which is bentto form the spring-clamp adapted to clamp or embrace the ball of theheel and the spur or spurs for biting into the ice or sleet.

The clamp A extends upwardly and rearwardly to properly embrace the ballof the heel, having its side bars formed with the upright portions B andthe upwardly and rearwardly inclined portions 0, leading from the upperends of the uprlght portions B and ter minating at their upper meetingends in a bow which fits around the rear of the foot. \Vhen applied tothe foot, the lower ends of the upright portions B lie about on thelevel of the under side of the instep or the hollow of the foot, andarms B extend inwardly from such lower ends of the portions B to a pointmidway between said portions, where the wire is twisted to form theshank E, which extends down to the bottom of the heel, the ends of thewire extending thence rearwardly, forming the diverging bars F, whichlie below the heel and have their ends bent,- forming the spurs F, whichproject downward, as shown.

The creeper is made of spring-wire which possesses sufficient elasticityto permit it to be sprung in operation to the position for use shown inFig. l and also adapts it to be selfretaining when in such position. Theelasticity of the clamp also permits the fitting Serial No. 723,736. (Nomodelthereof to feet of different sizes, as well as the slightadjustment necessary to fit different sizes or heights of heel.

The inwardly-extending arms 13 serve to unite the portions supportingthe spurs, so the latter cannot spread apart, the tension of the clampby which it grips the foot being secured in a large measure by the bandor angle between the upright portions B and the inclined portions 0 ofthe side bars of the clamp.

The devices are light and can be readily carried in the pocket andconveniently ap plied for use when necessary.

The creeper may be formed of any suitable wire and may be enameled,nickeled, or otherwise finished to suit the taste of the purchaser.

The spurs are arrangedto project vertically downward when in use, andthey will ordinarily operate to prevent slipping if flat or blunted; butwhere desired they may be beveled oft or otherwise sharpened to suit.

WVhen applied for use as shown in Fig. 1, the creeper does not in anyway affect the free movement of the foot and cannot become accidentallydisplaced.

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is-

1. 'An ice-creeper composed of a length of wire bent forming theupwardly and rearwardly inclined spring clamping-loop adapted to embracethe ball of the heel, and the spur or spurs, substantially as set forth.

2. An ice-creeper composed-of a length of wire bent forming theheel-clamping loop, and the inwardly-extended arms at the lower end ofsaid clamping-loop, such arms being connected at their inner ends, andthe spur or spurs, substantially as set forth.

3. An ice-creeper composed of a length of wire bent forming theheelclamping loop whose side bars are formed with the upright and theinclined portions adjoining each other, and the spur or spurssubstantially as set forth.

4:. An ice-creeper composed of a length of wire bent forming theclamping-loop and having its ends extended forming spurs, the wire beingtwisted together forming a shank in advance of the spurs, substantially.as set I such arms, and the rearwardly-Vprojeoting di- 10 forth. vergingbars having the spurs substantially 5. The herein-described ice-creepercon1 as set forth.

posed of a length of wire bent forming the heel-clamping loop whose sidebars are composed of the upright and inclined portions whereby itfitsand clamps the ball of the heel, the inwardly-extended arms, thedepending twisted shank at the inner ends of ROBERT C. SNOVVDEN.

Witnesses:

GEORGE F. PITTS, J. S. YOUNGBLOOD, F. N. SPERRY.

